[paper] Radiation testing of a 6-axis MEMS inertial navigation unit

Radiation testing of a commercial 6-axis MEMS inertial navigation unit at ENEA Frascati proton linear accelerator

G. Bazzano^a,b, A. Ampollini^a, F. Cardelli^a, F. Fortini^a, P. Nenzi^a, G.B. Palmerini^b, L. Picardi^a, 

L. Piersanti^a, C. Ronsivalle^a, V. Surrenti^a, E. Trinca^a, M. Vadrucci^a, M. Sabatini^c

Advances in Space Research (2020)

DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2020.11.031

^aENEA, Via Enrico Fermi 45, Frascati, Italy

^bScuola di Ingegneria Aerospaziale, La Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy

^cDipartimento di Ingegneria Astronautica, Elettrica ed Energetica, La Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy 

Abstract: We present the first results of a novel collaboration activity between ENEA Frascati Particle Accelerator Laboratory and University La Sapienza Guidance and Navigation Laboratory in the field of Radiation Hardness Assurance (RHA) for space applications. The aim of this research is twofold: (a) demonstrating the possibility to use the TOP-IMPLART proton accelerator for radiation hardness assurance testing, developing ad hoc dosimetric and operational procedures for RHA irradiations; (b) investigating system level radiation testing strategies for Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) components of interest for SmallSats space missions, with focus on devices and sensors of interest for guidance, navigation and control, through simultaneous exploration of Total Ionizing Dose (TID), Displacement Damage (DD) dose and Single-Event Effects (SEE) with proton beams. A commercial 6-axis integrated Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) inertial navigation system (accelerometer, gyroscope) was selected as first Device Under Test (DUT). The results of experimental tests aimed to define an operational procedure and the characterization of radiation effects on the component are reported, highlighting the consequence of the device performance degradation in terms of the overall navigation system accuracy. Doses up to 50 krad(Si) were probed and cross sections for Single-Event Functional Interrupt (SEFI) evaluated at a proton energy of 30 MeV. 

Fig: Polyedric support for MEMS accelerometer characterization

[paper] Bipolar and MOS Transistors Under the Effect of Radiation

Measurements of the Electrical Characteristics of Bipolar and MOS Transistors

Under the Effect of Radiation

K. O. Petrosyants, L. M. SamburskiiI. A. KharitonovM. V. Kozhukhov

Meas Tech (2017) doi:10.1007/s11018-017-1100-z

ABSTRACT: The specific nature of the process of measuring the electrical characteristics of bipolar and metal-oxidesemiconductor (MOS) transistors subjected to the action of neutron, electron, and gamma irradiation is considered. An automated measurement system is developed. Examples illustrating the use of the system for investigations of the radiation hardness of transistors are presented and the parameters of SPICE models for use in circuit design (including SOI/SOS CMOS circuits with EKV-RAD macromodel) are determined.

Translated from Izmeritel’naya Tekhnika, No. 10, pp. 55–60, September, 2016 [read more...]

[paper] Radiation-Induced Fault Simulation of SOI/SOS CMOS LSI’s Using Universal Rad-SPICE MOSFET Model

Radiation-Induced Fault Simulation of SOI/SOS CMOS LSI’s 

Using Universal Rad-SPICE MOSFET Model

Konstantin O. Petrosyants, Lev M. Sambursky, Igor A. Kharitonov, Boris G. Lvov

J Electron Test (2017)

doi:10.1007/s10836-016-5635-8

Abstract: The methodology of modeling and simulation of environmentally induced faults in radiation hardened SOI/SOS CMOS IC’s is presented. It is realized at three levels: CMOS devices – typical analog or digital circuit fragments – complete IC’s. For this purpose, a universal compact SOI/SOS MOSFET model for SPICE simulation software with account for TID, dose rate and single event effects is developed. The model parameters extraction procedure is described in great depth taking into consideration radiation effects and peculiarities of novel radiation-hardened (RH) SOI/SOS MOS structures. Examples of radiation-induced fault simulation in analog and digital SOI/SOS CMOS LSI’s are presented for different types of radiation influence. The simulation results show the difference with experimental data not larger than 10–20% for all types of radiation.

The electrical schematics of SOS CMOS opamp and 4-bit counter are presented; two variants of either macromodel were used for body-tied partially-depleted transistors: a) core EKV-SOI/ BSIMSOI model; b) EKV-RAD/ BSIMSOI-RAD macromodel. [read more...]